Diversity and the Customer

We’ve talked a lot about how important diversity is to your organization in terms of how it affects your workers. Clearly, research shows that diversity encourages creativity and takes problem-solving to a new level. In turn, we know that diverse businesses perform better economically speaking. Remember the figures from a McKinsey & Company study, which showed that gender-diverse companies were 15% more likely to outperform those at the bottom? But get this: ethnically diverse companies were 35% more likely!

Often discussion focuses on how diversity impacts the workforce. But it is about more than the creativity and different perspectives helping employees perform better. It is also about the positive impacts that then extend to customers and clients.

A diverse workforce means a company is better able to serve a diverse market. In other words, your customers should see themselves in your employees. Your workforce should be a reflection of your customer community. It’s what Dr. John Sullivan calls “customer reflection diversity“: “…when your employees reflect or match the diversity categories of your current and desired customer base, there are many positive impacts that occur when they interact.” These impacts, such as increased awareness and increased levels of comfort, translate to improved customer service, partly as a result of increased trust.

“All things being equal people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.” Entrepreneur called this quote Bob Burg’s “Golden Rule of Business.” It’s a simple truth. If a company wants to succeed, they must grow a customer base. Trust is a key part of the foundation, and diversity is integral to trust. So as you think about diversity in your organization, think beyond your workforce to the customers who are so important to you.